Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-02-23
BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES.
With q Persen Overcome by the Heat
or Apparently Drowned.

: Is much better than no knowledge, is il
rendering such aid as every one ought
to be able TO give to the injured whilt
waiting for the arrival of competent
surgeons. Such knowledge Is easily
obtained. 1t ought to be part of com.
mon school education. During the sum,
: mer months of the year no dangers are 80
much talked about as sunstroke and Suf-
location, the latter including Of course,
the suffOcation by water or drowning.
The large army of mechanics at work on
the sunny sides of streets, often in pOck-
cts between high brick walls, where the
thermometer rises far above 100 degrees
during the afternoon, are peculiarly lia-
bic to what is called SunStroke, but
which is really 4 heat stroke. The body
simply becomes Overheated and exhaust
ed, and this may happen on a warm day
in the shade as we'll as in the direct rays
of the sun. In convenient little work
entitled First Aid to the Injured, -
written by BOwditch Morton, NJ. D.,
at the request OF the Society for Instruc-
ton in first aid to the injured, the treat
ment as well as all other injuries likely
to come Unexpectedly, is explained in q
way easily understood.
The patients face, head and body art
burning hot and dry when suntruck.
The only thing to do before the doctor
comes is to reduce the temperature Of
the patient. Strip him naked and wrap
him in sheet wet with the coolest
water that can be had. If this is not
practicable pack the head, neck and
shoulders in wet clothes, handkcrchiefs
or towels, or whatever is most conve-
nient, and change the cloths as fast as
they get warm, until the patient regains
consciousness. But in some cases work
in warm room produces heat exhauS-
ton The face is but slightly flushed,
while the skin may be moist and cool.
The pulse will then be feeble and fire.
quent. Rest in cool room is needed.
with some light stimulant.
In cases of suffOcation the first thing
to do is to remove the cause of suffOca-
tion. If man is found hanging by the
, drowning take him out of the water 1t
ought not to be necessary to say this,
but the truth is that the first impulse of
the majority of people when man IS
found hanging by the neck is to call the
police and notify the coroner. Many
other intelligent people believe that they
have no right to cut a man down who is
found hanging by the neck. They be-
lieye that the coroner must do this.
= COrOners cultivate this belief. II brings
a good many bodies under their care
which would otherwise be saved alive.
More people are suffocated by water
than by ropes, but a man strangled by 4
4 rope should be treated the same us one
who has been apparently drowned.
When person that Is apparently
drowned is taken out of the water, lay
him on the pier or wherever most con-
/ venient. Then strip him to the waist
and rub him dry, and wipe out the
mouth and back of the throat with i
handkerchief folded over one of your
/ fingers. Then turn the patient over, face
down, and put his arm under his fore
head, and rolled up coat under his
stomach. If you have no coat log of
wood, coil of rope, or 4 dozen brick,
or anything found near by TO raise the
stomach will do. Then put both hands
ON the small of the back and push them
down hard. That will force out the
water that has got inside. Turn the |
patient over on his back. He Will often |
begin TO breathe then. If he doesn't, |
tickle his nose with a bit of grass, 4 |
feather, a bit of twine, or anything that |
will tickle. II that doesn't do any good,
hit him smart slap with the open hand
on the pit of the stomach. II that
doesn't make him catch his breath he Is
a bad case, but by no means hopeless.
Whatever is done must be done without
delay; but never hurry, because hurry
begets furry always.
Finding that the slap does no good, al 4
once open the patients mouth. You Il
will find that his tongue has dropped
back into his throat so that he cannot
breathe if he wants to. Take hold of il Z
and pull it up, and if you have stout t
rubber band with you slip it well back ,
over the lower jaw, so that it will snap Is
down on the tongue, keeping 1t from
falling back. \ string Of any kind may '
be tied around instead of the rubber =
band, but you must keep watch of either a
to see that the tongue does not slip o
away and get back into the throat. The
very best way to secure the tongue is to ,
stick pin or needle through it half an 6
nch or so from the tip, and let the ends ;
If the pin rest on the teeth-that IS,
.Oggle it. The patient will have a sore 8
.ongue If he gets well, but he won't
mind that. Put the rOlled-up coat un-
Ter the patients shoulders. Then kneel J
1t his head and pull his arms up above 7
lis head and lay them fiat along the U
ground, with the hands touching each C
Al1 tNH-O 1u |
while the chest expands and the lungs s
i'll with air. Then r2ise the arms up
,ver his head and place them on his a
hest, so that his hands touch each a
,ther just below the neck, and press Z
irmly down and in on the chest for an I
Instant. This will press the air out o
gain. Take hold of the arm half way q
)etween the wrist and the elbow in
loing this. Keep on filling the lungs
With air and emptying them again until g
he patient begins to breathe naturally. il
Work deliberately and regularly and d
lon't stop short of one hour and-a-half d
mleSs the patient RECEIVERS, no matter 8
low hopeless the case may seem to be. I
People have been revived who did not p
how sign of life until they had been d
worked over two hours. One child was t;
aved in the western part of the state e
asst year after the doctor had pronoun-
ed it dead. When the patient breatheS, +,
warm him by putting hot water bottles Q
lnder the arm-pits and on the stomach. O
lot fannels will do. Then give stimu- 6
ents in moderate quantities. o.
Stimulents should always be given o.
paringly to those who are hurt unless a O.
'hysician is in charge and orders them. r,
They should never be given to man 7
Who has been injured about the head, VI
if he is unconscious, unless D
competent physician is in charge. o.
ID